Oh, at first it was confusing. Just the idea of computers was like — whoa! I'm eleven hundred years old! I had trouble adjusting to the idea of Lutherans.

Anya ,'Get It Done'


Buffistechnology 3: "Press Some Buttons, See What Happens."

Got a question about technology? Ask it here. Discussion of hardware, software, TiVos, multi-region DVDs, Windows, Macs, LINUX, hand-helds, iPods, anything tech related. Better than any helpdesk!


sarameg - Jul 24, 2008 2:08:06 pm PDT #7194 of 25501

I think if you find yourself wedded to a mac, the refurbs are a deal when available. This 15 inch macbook pro came in at $1500. They currently have the 13 inch macbooks under $1K.

That said, were I not, I'd probably could have gotten a comparable pc new for less. (Just guessing, because I didn't even look because I'm really not as comfortable on that platform.)


amych - Jul 24, 2008 2:11:56 pm PDT #7195 of 25501
Now let us crush something soft and watch it fountain blood. That is a girlish thing to want to do, yes?

The conventional wisdom on pricing is that Macs have a higher initial cost, but lower cost of ownership over time -- you can do more with what comes in the box, fewer repairs, longer life overall, etc. and so on. Mileage (and actual use patterns) may vary, of course.

(But I should also note that I really don't know PC pricing -- I do either Mac laptops or build-your-own-Frankenboxes with lots of baling twine and duct tape and Linux.)


Susan W. - Jul 24, 2008 2:16:58 pm PDT #7196 of 25501
Good Trouble and Righteous Fights

The magsafe does appeal...I've been snarling at our current laptop on a daily basis over the stupid plug thing. This is the third time it's gone bad, and now it's not under warranty anymore.

Sounds like a visit to the UW Bookstore is in order. It looks like they're offering a rebate if you purchase a MacBook and an iPod together...


NoiseDesign - Jul 24, 2008 2:17:01 pm PDT #7197 of 25501
Our wings are not tired

When I'm buying if I actual purchase truly comparable machines, I usually end up within about $200. Sometimes this favors the PC, sometimes it favors the Mac. While I have a couple of pretty old Toshibas this are still running great, typically I get about 2 years more use out of my long term macs.


NoiseDesign - Jul 24, 2008 2:18:22 pm PDT #7198 of 25501
Our wings are not tired

Yeah, you can basically get a Nano for free. I did this last year I think, I've got a little 8 GB Nano that lives in the work truck due to it.


Dana - Jul 24, 2008 2:59:02 pm PDT #7199 of 25501
I'm terrifically busy with my ennui.

I know people who love their Asus, but I would look into opinions about the keyboard size.


evil jimi - Jul 25, 2008 5:25:12 am PDT #7200 of 25501
Lurching from one disaster to the next.

I need to upgrade at least one of them to Vista.

Unless there's a program you really need that is Vista-only, I wouldn't...and I'm sure ita would agree.

I've been using Ubuntu Hardy Heron on my desktop for over a month now (a record for me!) and I have no intention of ever going back to Microsoft. A couple of days ago I also installed it on my laptop aifg.


Gudanov - Jul 25, 2008 6:08:22 am PDT #7201 of 25501
Coding and Sleeping

There's this Toshiba in the 5 lbs range for $700.

[link]


Tom Scola - Jul 25, 2008 6:13:46 am PDT #7202 of 25501
Remember that the frontier of the Rebellion is everywhere. And even the smallest act of insurrection pushes our lines forward.

I ordered an MSI Wind, for $475. It hasn't shipped yet; it's been sitting in my Amazon queue for weeks.


§ ita § - Jul 25, 2008 8:08:23 am PDT #7203 of 25501
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.

How much is a netbook capable of without the net?